How Knowing My Skin Type Helped Improve My Complexion

The article includes Dr. Patel‘s expert commentary on finding out your skin type.

There’s nothing more disappointing than finally getting your hands on the hottest beauty product—the one that promises to give you skin like J.Lo —only for things to go terribly wrong. Your skin itches. Blemishes appear all over your face. And you feel instant regret over spending money on a product you can’t even use.

No, there isn’t a voodoo doll out there with your face on it. More than likely, using the wrong beauty products for your skin type causes this turmoil. I would know, because it happened to me.

As a fan of basically anything free (I’m all about that swag, as Michael Scott from The Office would say), I push through crowds and lunge through the air like a wild animal whenever free beauty samples are given out. The problem is that I don’t first consider my skin’s reaction to a new product. And as it turns out, I’m not alone.

According to Dr. Patel, MD Board Certified Dermatologist and Founder of Visha Skincare, many women don’t know their skin type. “We commonly think of skin type as being either oily, dry, or sensitive, and this can be a good start for making wise skincare decisions. Skin type can also be related to the amount of pigment in the skin with Type 1 being fair (sunburns easily) and Type 4 being darker (rarely burns).”